Key result
Finger PPG closely matches ECG R-R intervals with ~5 ms mean error at rest.
Why the study?
Finger photoplethysmography permits brief measurements of pulse rate variability, although pulse intervals and ECG R-R intervals represent different physiological events, prompting evaluation of agreement between LifePulsePro finger pulse intervals and Polar H10 R-R intervals at rest.
Does LifePulsePro finger photoplethysmography accurately measure pulse intervals and time-domain pulse rate variability compared to Polar H10 ECG-derived R-R intervals in volunteers during quiet seated rest?
Observational (n=13)
Does LifePulsePro finger photoplethysmography accurately measure pulse intervals and time-domain pulse rate variability compared to Polar H10 ECG-derived R-R intervals in volunteers during quiet seated rest?
Finger PPG using LifePulsePro closely matches Polar H10 ECG beat-to-beat timing at rest, though it introduces a positive bias in time-domain pulse rate variability indices like RMSSD.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Finger PPG should not yet replace ECG for precise heart rate variability assessment; leaves open sensor accuracy in larger, ambulatory, or arrhythmic patient cohorts.
Background. Finger photoplethysmography (PPG) permits brief measurements of pulse rate variability (PRV), although pulse intervals and ECG R–R intervals represent different physiological events. Objective. To assess the agreement of Polar H10 R–R intervals with LifePulsePro finger pulse intervals at rest, examine time-domain HRV/PRV and repeatability, and explore ECG-to-finger pulse arrival time (PAT) and a derived velocity index in relation to age and sex. Methods. Twenty-five three-minute recordings obtained from 13 volunteers during quiet seated rest were evaluated. Five thousand two hundred forty-four accepted ECG–PPG interval pairs were recalculated from the synchronized interval exports. Repeated measurements were averaged within volunteer for inferential analysis. Results. Volunteer-level mean absolute interval error was 5.23 ms (95% CI 4.53–5.93), with mean within-record correlation r=0.965 (95% CI 0.947–0.983) and signed bias +0.010 ms (p=0.760). PPG SDNN and RMSSD exceeded ECG values by 4.73% and 15.22%, respectively. MAE test–retest ICC(3,1) was 0.85. Mean PAT-foot was 182.2 ms and the protocol-specific velocity index vPAT averaged 5.05 m/s (95% CI 4.75–5.34). Eleven of 13 volunteer values were at or below the application’s preliminary age-group medians. Conclusions. Finger PPG preserved beat-to-beat timing closely during quiet rest, but time-domain PRV indices showed measurable positive bias, especially RMSSD. PAT and vPAT can be described with the dual-sensor system; they require independent vascular validation before clinical interpretation.
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Aydar Safin (2026) conducted an observational in Heart rate variability and pulse rate variability during quiet seated rest (n=13). LifePulsePro finger photoplethysmography (PPG) vs. Polar H10 ECG was evaluated on Agreement of Polar H10 R-R intervals with LifePulsePro finger pulse intervals at rest (mean absolute interval error and within-record correlation) (MAE 5.23 ms, 95% CI 4.53-5.93, p=0.760). Finger PPG using LifePulsePro closely matched Polar H10 ECG R-R intervals (MAE 5.23 ms; r=0.965), though PPG SDNN and RMSSD exceeded ECG by 4.73% and 15.22%.
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